EXPLINATION of how TV shows are currently rated

http://tvline.com/2013/06/04/cable-tv-shows-renewed-cancelled/

I am not up on latest cable or regular TV rating systems… what is a good number for cable shows… what is a good number for broadcast shows…. I can read the numbers but do not have a good reference as to what is considered a hit or a miss….THANK YOU

It varies from channel to channel, but generally, if a cable show can get an 0.6 rating or more *in adults 18-49* than it can survive. 0.9 or more is generally a big hit. Remember, that’s a RATING number IN ADULTS 18-49. Total viewers are not important to advertisers.

Some of the much smaller channels like BBC America will withstand lower numbers as they try to build an audience. Mad Men and Breaking Bad on AMC started out with numbers well below 0.6, and have built up over the years as word has spread. BBC America renewed Orphan Black and Ripper Street despite extremely low ratings.

Bigger, established channels like USA and TNT will not tolerate such low numbers. Monday Mornings, for instance, never stood a chance with its 0.3s. That was an immediate terminal diagnosis for that show. Lower numbers are sometimes tolerated for comedies because they are extremely valuable on the “back end,” in rerun syndication.

For the big four broadcasters, these days, a show needs something like 1.6-1.8 in adults 18-49, at least. This is down hugely from just 10 or 15 years ago when shows needed a 3.0 or 4.0 to survive. Audiences are much more fragmented now.